Looks like we got a bunch of athletic, scoring machines. Looking forward to seeing the newcomers step in and provide a little more punch in the backcourt.

Ardmore_Sooner

10/12/2005, 11:27 PM

Its 11:27 and Texas still sucks

AustinTXHorn

10/12/2005, 11:40 PM

Its 11:27 and Texas still sucks
Texas called. They asked for their joke back.

:texan:

IronHorseSooner

10/13/2005, 02:48 AM

I KNEW that Texas would be picked first (I didn't even have to read the article). I believe that Texas is a great team this year, but Oklahoma is JUST AS GOOD. I can go position by position, and show that Texas and Oklahoma are equal. As a matter of fact, with most of the Big XII, each team has a "mirror" team that is almost identical to them:

Gray > Aldridge (right now, as of today)
Bookout > Buckman (only slightly)
Carter = Tucker (Carter is the same style of player as Tucker, except bigger)
Everett = Gibson (Everett is better at getting into the defensive dead spots, Gibson is a better 3-point shooter)
Neal < Paulino (This might be a wash, but Paulino can play either backcourt position. Neal is great, but I have to see more of his game before I can evaluate).

Oklahoma's depth is set by position and filling needs. Texas recruited pure talent.
Coaching is almost even. Barnes and Sampson are very similar. Sampson is probably a better defensive mind, where Barnes may be a better offensive mind. But, with both it's splitting hairs.

AustinTXHorn

10/13/2005, 01:51 PM

Gray > Aldridge (right now, as of today)
Bookout > Buckman (only slightly)
Carter = Tucker (Carter is the same style of player as Tucker, except bigger)
Everett = Gibson (Everett is better at getting into the defensive dead spots, Gibson is a better 3-point shooter)
Neal < Paulino (This might be a wash, but Paulino can play either backcourt position. Neal is great, but I have to see more of his game before I can evaluate).

Oklahoma's depth is set by position and filling needs. Texas recruited pure talent.
Coaching is almost even. Barnes and Sampson are very similar. Sampson is probably a better defensive mind, where Barnes may be a better offensive mind. But, with both it's splitting hairs.
Gray over Aldridge...ok.

Bookout barely over Buckman...ok.

Carter = Tucker?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! When healthy, P.J. Tucker was/is the best player on the Texas team. He was the leading scorer and rebounder when he was declared ineligible last season. Now even though Aldridge has a higher celing than Gray does, you say that Gray gets the nod because he's more proven and a better player to this point. I agree. But you say that Carter is better than Tucker because he has the higher celing. You can't have that both ways. Even then, Carter may be bigger, but Tucker is much more valuable to his team and a more complete player. Tucker can run the point, he can play SF, or he can score from the post and grab rebounds. Plus...6'6, 220 versus 6'5, 225. I'm not sure there's much of a size difference there.

I'll give you Everett = Gibson. Everett is one of the more underrated players in the conference. Having said that, he also had a much easier time than Gibson did last year. Gibson was forced to run a team in shambles as a freshman in the Big 12. I'm very interested to see how he is when he gets a little bit of breathing room.

I don't know much about Neal, but unless Paulino really improves, I'd bet that Neal is at least on par with him. Paulino lost is stroke big time last year and couldn't get the ball without turning it over. Texas really needs him to step up this year because somebody needs to give Gibson a breather. Gibson averaged over 35 minutes per game in Big 12 play last year...a number that is almost unheardof on a Rick Barnes team. I'll be surprised if Paulino starts, though. My guess is the 2 guard will be Craig Winder, a transfer from a Maryland JUCO. That's just going on what I've heard though...I don't really know anything about him.

Sampson and Barnes are two very similar coaches. They are both definitely defensive coaches who play physical ball. I don't know about Texas "just recruiting pure talent", though. If Sampson could get a Daniel Gibson and a Kevin Durant, he would definitely take them. IMO, Barnes is just a better overall recruiter than Sampson, but both are great at finding good talent that Scout or Rivals don't always notice. Bookout and Tucker weren't exactly McDonalds All Americans coming out of high school.

crawfish

10/13/2005, 02:05 PM

Until Carter proves himself, I'd have to give Tucker the nod as well. However, considering his strength, athleticism, competitiveness and size, I'd like to think that by the time conference play comes around Tucker won't be the mismatch against us he's been the last few years.

Also, Neal was a two-time JUCO first-team All-American. That's darn impressive, and a big indication that we can expect him to be a solid contributor this year. I'm not sure you should give him the nod now considering he's never played D1 ball before, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the matchup go our way come January.

Bourbon St Sooner

10/13/2005, 02:08 PM

They can pick us whatever. We're defending champs.

AustinTXHorn

10/13/2005, 02:28 PM

Also, Neal was a two-time JUCO first-team All-American. That's darn impressive, and a big indication that we can expect him to be a solid contributor this year. I'm not sure you should give him the nod now considering he's never played D1 ball before, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the matchup go our way come January.
Didn't realize that. In that case, there's no doubt that I would expect him to be better than Paulino next year.

soonerspiff

10/13/2005, 02:35 PM

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team

That means other than Rick Barnes, who couldn't put his own team on his list, just one other coach thinks OU is the number 1 team in the conference. That is CRAZY.

How is Texas nearly the consensus number one at this point!?

TheHumanAlphabet

10/13/2005, 03:17 PM

Are we gonna be any good this year? Seriously.

Big Red Ron

10/13/2005, 05:19 PM

Are we gonna be any good this year? Seriously.Yes! Taj Gray will be Big XII player of the year and we will win our second consecutive Big XII championship.

UT is ranked so high based on talent and expectations, we've actually done it.

Gonna be great year for Texas Athletics this year....Big 12 Champs in football, mens basketball, womens basketball, softball, baseball, etc etc.....I don't see men's or women's basketball championships being a walk in the park for you. But I guess it's nice to have confidence in your program.

What I mean is the ability of both Tucker and Carter. Their style of game is very similar, and physically, they are equal. Tucker had a great start to the season last year, but if he's going to play small forward this year, he has to be able to hit the three. Carter can, and has, along with the low post game, hit the three. I might revise that, at this point, that Tucker is probably better, but by the time they meet, I BET that they will be very similar....I have to see Neal play. Paulino can be good. If both play at their highest level, Neal will be better. I will admit when I need to change this:

That still gets OU better than them at 3 positions, and equal at another. The benches, coaching, and schedules are equal. So WHY IS TEXAS CONSIDERED BETTER? I guess that since they are so equal, the coaches and media have to put somebody over the other, and they picked Texas. This will be even more motivation for OU (as if they didn't already)....KS is already this confident (which almost never happens).